BOTOX® FOR SWEATING?

Did you know that you can use Botox® to combat excessive underarm sweating or Hyperhidrosis? Well you can!

Sweat is a very necessary part of human physiology. Not only does it aid in cooling you down, but it is also linked to pheromone release and the excretion of certain products. We all need to sweat, and no product or treatment is ever going to take away all of your sweating completely. Antiperspirants and deodorants are adequate in most individuals to deal with normal to moderate production of sweat and the odours that occur with sweating, however there are certain individuals who feel that their sweating interferes with their daily lives.

Hyperhidrosis is the name given to sweating that is in excess of your body’s needs to maintain optimal temperature (basically when the amount you sweat is far more than what is needed to cool you down), or when your sweating is inhibiting your daily function. This obviously means different things to different people and can be quite subjective, but generally people who seek medical attention due to their sweating probably warrant some investigation if not treatment. Things to consider when deciding if you sweat too much may include whether you find the need to change your clothing throughout the day due to them being sweat-soiled, whether you are using other absorbent materials underneath your clothing to absorb excess sweat, and whether you avoid certain clothing styles or fabric due to your sweating.

As we already know, Botox® is a toxin that acts at the neuromuscular junction, preventing signals sent along nerves from getting to the muscles they are attached to, rendering these muscles effectively paralysed. Similarly, your sweat glands are activated by nerves that cause the secretion of sweat, and so when Botox® is injected into the skin responsible for excessive sweating the nerves supplying the sweat glands are treated and can no longer transmit their signals to the sweat glands. This is how Botox® for Hyperhidrosis or excessive sweating works – by injecting tiny amounts into the skin responsible for the excessive sweating, the Botox® is able to act on the sweat glands and stop you from sweating!

The amounts of Botox® used for Hyperhidrosis are generally more than the amounts used for cosmetic effects and so this treatment is more costly, however the results have shown to last about 6 – 9 months, where cosmetic Botox® lasts around 3 months at first injection.

To find out more give us a call on (021) 6833048 ext 1, or pop us an email on capetownaesthetics@gmail.com.

3 Comments

[…] is not an unknown treatment. The mechanism of action is thought to be similar to that of Botox® for excess sweating, in that by applying Botox® to the pores it affects the messages sent by the nerves to the pores […]

[…] Hyperhidrosis or excessive sweating can also be treated with Botox®. Because each sweat gland is controlled by a nerve fibre within our pores, by injecting Botox® into the areas that sweat too much we can paralyse the glands that cause sweating and thus vastly decrease the amount of sweating that takes place. This treatment is incredibly effective for under arm sweating, however due to the amount of Botox® needed to cover a large surface area, it can be quite costly. […]

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